An investment in the future: the Aerodynamic Test Centre. No other car maker is as committed as the BMW Group to making lasting and substantial investments in the enhanced efficiency of new models. Building the new Aerodynamic Test Centre, the BMW Group now has even greater competence and qualifications than before in the area of innovative technologies contributing in the medium and long term to the further improvement of all BMW and MINI models in their fundamental strengths and benefits. For optimisation of the car’s aerodynamic qualities improves both its performance and efficiency, as well as the driving stability offered by the car on the road. Precisely this is why optimum aerodynamics is already a fundamental factor today in the development of new models. Building the ATC, the BMW Group is giving even greater emphasis to the ongoing enhancement of aerodynamics as an essential cornerstone of the EfficientDynamics philosophy. Optimised aerodynamics have a direct impact on the car’s fuel economy and emission management, a reduction of air drag by 10 per cent offering the customer a reduction in fuel consumption on the road by more than 2.5 per cent – and even such an at first sight “insignificant” improvement is of great importance to the BMW Group as part of an overall package for the enhancement of efficiency. With BMW Group cars already offering excellent aerodynamic qualities today, further improvement and, indeed, optimisation, calls for a substantial investment. So making such an investment in the ATC, the BMW Group clearly expresses its intention to use all facilities also in future in order to improve both fuel economy and emission management to an even higher standard. The ATC offers new options and potentials in analysing the aerodynamic qualities of a car – and at the same time flexible processes applied at the ATC as well as its location in the immediate vicinity of the BMW Group’s Research and Innovation Centre (FIZ) optimises the integration of all activities in the overall process of vehicle development. In future, therefore, the BMW Group’s aerodynamic specialists will be working next door and hand-in-hand with BMW’s designers, constructors, engine specialists and other experts. Over and above such enhanced integration into the development process, the ATC has facilities and capabilities unique the world over in determining aero-dynamic features and qualities in a truly realistic process. One option, for example, is to analyse new models at a very early stage of development in a wide range of different situations with all test scenarios following real-life driving conditions. This means not only the consideration of all kinds of speed ranges, but also different driving situations such as driving in a bend, taking the actual movement of the body into account. A further point is that the ATC is now able for the first time to render and analyse the interaction of a car with other vehicles, for example when overtaking, thus offering yet another new benefit in the development of production cars. So far such tests could only be conducted on the test track, with cars almost completely developed in every respect. Now the knowledge gained in this process can be fed back into the development process much earlier, serving to effectively optimise a new model right from the start. Most advanced wind tunnel technology for realistic measurements. The BMW Group’s new Aerodynamic Test Centre is the world’s most modern facility of its kind throughout the entire automotive industry. The ATC comprises a wind tunnel serving to analyse vehicles in their original size. To reproduce the most important effects and phenomena when driving on the road, the road surface is modelled through a simulation process using no less than five rolling tracks. A second wind tunnel allows the engineer to move the models tested from one position to the other by means of a control system operating in all directions above the world’s largest rolling road in a wind tunnel. This serves to analyse vehicle flow conditions under all kinds of circumstances, applying a concept already used for a number of years in motorsport. Now, therefore, aerodynamics and driving dynamics may interact and be combined with one another also in the development of production cars. The number of scenarios available as well as the precision of the test processes applied at the ATC offer a standard quite unique for a facility of this kind. Both wind tunnels, to mention just one example, are able to generate an air flow velocity of up to 300 km/h or 186 mph, for the first time providing exactly the right, correct physical conditions for the measurement of true-to-scale models. In all, the BMW Group has invested some Euro 170 million in the construction of the Aerodynamic Test Centre and the facilities/equipment used. Within about three years, the five-floor building constructed on a piece of land measuring approximately 25,000 square metres or 6.2 acres has been completed in the immediate vicinity of the Munich FIZ Research and Innovation Centre and boasts architecture quite unique at very first sight, providing a clear hint from the beginning that the technology used inside is very special indeed. One example of this distinctive look and architecture is the round contour of the fan for the horizontally arranged air flow ring in the main wind tunnel clearly recognisable on the southern side of the building. The vertical air flow ring for the model wind tunnel, in turn, likewise stands out clearly in the centre of the ATC. BMW’s EfficientDynamics specialists focusing in the ATC specifically on aerodynamics used to work at no less than five different locations before moving into the new Test Centre, travelling up to 20 kilometres in order to work together in the wind tunnel. Now, by putting all these specialists together in one building, the BMW Group ensures direct contact with extremely small distances between the various specialists and has established new processes for highly efficient interaction and cooperation. In all, some 500 specialists in BMW EfficientDynamics will be working together in the new building. More: https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/pressclub/p/pcgl/download.html?textId=25921&textAttachmentId=42473
But according to the results of BMWSauber F1 team results this year - it's obvious they don't know how to use it effectively.
No wonder BMW don't want to make lightweight super cars and sports cars! They would get blown away in that tunnel..
Good point, now that Mercedes has decided to go back to its boxy roots, maybe BMW wanted to take that thaught just one step to far by starting to focus on the aviation industry again?
Good to see BMW investing in a full-size wind-tunnel. Maybe the wind-tunnel will confirm the 6 series is not only butt-ugly but also aerodynamically flawed. BMW should stay out of the aviation industry. They need to start making money with their car business before considering anything else. Does BMW's little aero-engine joint venture with Rolls Royce plc still exist?
Oh for God's sake, stop being so sensitive. He's not heard it anywhere. Why are you even responding to inane comments like that?
Well they have th best toy in the industry and they can only use a fraction of its potential and they let some super brains go without properly replacing them.
I hope BMW has it in their future plans of investing in some Porsche Panamera AIR suspension technology for cars like the F01 en 5er + 6er GT:eusa_pray
